Poland follows EU line on Iran nuclear deal

Poland will not impose sanctions on Iran and it will adhere to European Union’s policies on the nuclear deal, Polish Foreign Minister said.

“As far as economic aspects are concerned, Poland would strictly follow the European Union’s position regarding the agreement with Iran. Alone, we cannot impose sanctions on Iran,” Poland’s Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz said after meeting with his US counterpart, Mike Pompeo on Monday.

The US withdrew from 2015 nuclear pact between Iran and six world powers on May 8 and Washington is seeking to reimpose wide range of economic sanctions on Tehran. However, other signatories of the deal, including the EU, have pledged to stick to the nuclear agreement despite US threats of sanctions on European companies which maintain business relations with Iran.

Poland’s ruling party, Law and Justice (PiS), which enjoys warm relations with the US and is at loggerheads with the EU over possible budgetary sanctions, has sided with the bloc over the nuclear accord with Iran. Czaputowicz who is in the US as Poland holds the presidency of the Security Council for May also said Warsaw will urge the EU to take the US concerns into account.

Czaputowicz said a new nuclear agreement can offer “a permanent solution to the problem of Iran”. Tehran has so far rejected the possibility of a new nuclear deal. Tehran, in a bid to salvage its main economic sector, the oil industry, has suggested direct euro-denominated payments to Iran’s central bank to avoid the U.S. financial system and bypass possible sanctions.

Polish media covered a Reuters report that due to the risk of the US sanctions, Poland’s dominant gas firm PGNiG plans to suspend a gas project in Iran.